MEN-INDUCED DYNAMIC EXCITATION OF STAND STRUCTURES

Abstract eng:
Recent experience proofs, that stand structures may be subject to larger excitations induced by an active audience for any kind of mass event, i.e. for open-air concerts as well as for pure sport events. After the British Code BS 6399, the new German Code DIN 1055 part 3 for imposed loads will be the second national code in Europe which is addressing this serious design problem by demanding that structures that might be excited by men-induced loads have to be designed for possible dynamic and resonant effects. While the British Code at least recommends an idealized load model, both codes fail in specifying design targets for serviceability. Beside the structural safety, for many structures, serviceability criteria in terms of the comfort and the safety of the audience will become decisive for the design. Respective recommended limits, however, have to be understood as non-deterministic values, i.e. the 'natural' scatter of the individual sensitivity in regard to vibrations should be considered as well. For existing stand structures, a method of evaluating the serviceability in regard to the comfort and safety of the audience is presented which is based on observed acceleration amplitudes during mass events. For the design of new stand structures, applying the idealized load-model of a half-sine-wave in combination with a general coordination factor seems to lead to over-conservative solutions. Therefore, a better approach seems to become possible with a Monte-Carlo simulation of the random load process. Some basic demands for a consistent load model will be discussed and some first results are presented.

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